Friday, September 19

Yoga - Cure for Hypertension - II

Hypertension is also related to other diseases like stroke, heart attack. The two types of high blood pressure are as follows:

Primary Hypertension – It is also known as essential hypertension; commonly caused by stress and injury, primary hypertension has no specific symptom. Other causes comprise emotional disturbance, heredity, race, climatic condition, Obesity, smoking and alcohol intake.

Secondary Hypertension – It may lead to kidney infection, malfunctioning of the Endocrine Gland, arterial problems like arteriosclerosis, and even Pregnancy.

Since hypertension has no specific symptom, it became known to be a silent killer. If not detected at an early stage, it may lead to arterial cardiac and renal damage. Nevertheless, hypertension can be detected if people experience some mild and pounding headache, giddiness, hazy vision, ringing in the ears, and disturbed kidney functioning. If experienced continuously, it may lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, or paralysis.

In order to manage hypertension, lifestyle management, one of which is Yoga Lifestyle, helps treat and prevent hypertension. Some of the yoga poses are as follows:

Easy Pose (Sukhasana)
This is one of the classic Meditative Poses and is usually performed after doing the Corpse Pose. The Easy Pose helps in straightening the spine, slowing down metabolism, promoting inner tranquility, and keeping your mind still.

Shoulder Stretches
Shoulder Stretches are great in relieving stress and tension on your shoulders, as well as your entire upper back. Practice them daily for several weeks and notice the changes. Learn some basic stretches for the shoulders in this section.

Stand Spread Leg Forward Fold
People with lower back problems should avoid doing the full forward bend. For beginners, you may use props like a folding chair to support your forearms.

Cat Pose (Bidalasana)
This Pose teaches you to initiate movement from your center and to coordinate your movement and breath. These are two of the most important themes in Yoga practice. Keep in mind that the Cat Pose may not be advisable if you have any chronic or recent back pain or injury.

Half Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
This pose lengthens and strengthens the spine. It is also beneficial for your liver, kidneys, as well as adrenal glands. In this section, learn how to perform the Half Spinal Twist.

Wind Relieving Pose (Pavanamuktasana)
The Wind Relieving Pose works mainly on the digestive system. specifically, it helps in eliminating excess gas in the stomach.

Double Leg Raises
This is similar to a Single Leg Raise, only this time, you will raise both legs. In doing this Yoga Pose, make sure that the full length of your back is resting on the floor and your shoulders and neck are relaxed. This section covers the steps and guidelines on how to do this pose properly.

Anuloma Viloma
This is also called the Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique. In this Breathing Technique, you inhale through one nostril, retain the breath, and exhale through the other nostril.

Friday, August 8

Yoga - Cure for HyperTension

With yoga once can easily bring down high blood pressure and u know the consequences what would happen if blood pressure is not brought down ? But the exact cause cannot be pinpointed. Yoga therapists see it as a symptom and not as a disease. 

Step 1: The first step in the treatment of hypertension is identifying the symptom (i.e., high BP). 

Step 2: Getting to know the person’s lifestyle, family background. 

Step 3: Identifying the stress / pressure-causing factors. 

Step 4: Techniques to bring about the sense of release are prescribed next. It can be asanas for some; for others it would be pranayama; for others it can be some kind of meditation to reduce stress. 

Pranayama and Savasana are important yogic methods to control the blood pressure. Pranayama (breath control), conscious respiration, savasana (here a person adopts a dead-body-like posture and starts relaxing from the toes to the upper part of the body step by step), these yogic postures can remove the stress and control blood pressure. 

Yoga brings about relaxation and this removes the stress, a main cause of high blood pressure. Yoga is both a static and dynamic exercise and improves the cardiovascular efficiency in a healthy as well as a sick person. A person who never indulges in any kind of physical activity (either dynamic or static) has a very poor cardiac efficiency. 

On exercise his heart rate increases as if the same person has had physical training for six months. His heart rate will not jump but will steadily go up after a set of exercises. Extrapolating these findings to yoga which is both a static and dynamic exercise, muscle tone is created by static exercises; muscle and joints are made supple by dynamic exercises. People think that one has to run about 10 km in order to exercise. 

One can sit in a room and do yoga for the muscles to be equally sufficient. With yoga one can improve the cardiovascular efficiency in a normal person and in a diseased person. But one should be cautious regarding the underlying condition. Conditions like severe heart valve obstruction calls for care and caution.

Wednesday, July 16

Yoga - Neutralising face wrinkles

Face yoga comprises of a series of toning and strengthening exercises for the muscles of your face. Exercises include rolling the tongue to make vibrating sounds and exaggerated yawns to release the jaw muscles. It also involves laughing a lot out loud and blowing kisses. Relaxing your face is an important part of yoga because the face is an indicator of tension in the rest of the body. 

Inversion

Stand with your legs in a wide stance with toes pointed slightly inward. Bend forward until the crown of your head touches the mat. Gently rest your thumbs on your chin and place your fingers near your cheek. Inversions is recommended for a healthy complexion as the blood pressure in your head rises and the body reacts by lowering your blood pressure level, your heart beats slower and your blood vessels dilate, or relax. 

Lion Face 

Take a slow inhale of breath and constrict every muscle in your body: your toes, your buttocks, your fists everything. On a slow, steady exhale, relax those muscles, stick out your tongue, widen your eyes and open your hands. Repeat three times. On the last repetition, try to hold the exhale position for 30 to 60 seconds to really stretch your tongue. This is an excellent workout for circulation to the face as well as a great way to release tension in the jaw — which tends to lead to wrinkles.

Saturday, June 21

YOGA - Reducing Abdominal Fat - II

Paad-Pashchimottanasan

Reduces abdominal fat. Removes wind from the intestines and increases appetite.

Method: Lie on your back, legs straight, arms overhead, hands together, palms facing up. Sit up, take hands overhead, back straight, then bend forward to hold the big toes, head between arms and touching the knees.

Uddyiana Bandha

  • This asana massages and tones up the internal organs in the abdominal area.
  • It also massages the heart, making it a stronger, more effective pump.
  • It relieves constipation, gas, indigestion and liver trouble.
  • It tones up the nerves in the solar plexus region.
  • It reduces abdominal fat and strengthens the abdominal muscles.
  • It helps the correct functioning of the adrenal glands and sex glands.


Method:

First Exercise: While standing with your feet about a foot apart and your knees slightly bent, lean forwards a little from the waist and place your hands just above your knees. Inhale deeply by pushing your abdomen forwards, and then exhale by pushing your stomach in. Don't take another breath; instead, push in your stomach even more, so that it becomes hollow, and hold your breath for about ten seconds.

Second Exercise: Do the same as above but, instead of holding your Stomach in after exhaling, rapidly push your stomach in and out ten times without taking another breath. Stand up straight and resume normal breathing.

Dandayamana-Dhanurasana- Standing Bow Pulling Pose

Strengthens thighs, buttocks, hips, abdomen, and arms, reduces abdominal fat, Helps manage anorexia. Good for posture and natal care. Helps in healing tennis elbow and frozen shoulder.


Method:

  • Begin in Tadasana, Mountain Pose
  • Inhale the right arm up keeping it rooted in the shoulder socket but extending through the finger tips.
  • Bend the left arm so the elbow is close in to the body and the finger tips are away from the body, palm faces the sky.
  • Engage the muscles of your right leg as you bend the left leg behind you and catch the inside of your foot with your left hand.
  • Draw both knees together while keeping the tailbone tucked.
  • Exhale, press your left foot into your hand extending from the left top thigh. As the leg raises begin to hinge at your hips bringing your upper body parallel to the ground.
  • Allow the heart to melt as the left hip bone and shoulder softens and surrenders.
  • Reach through the ball mounds of your left foot as your upper body reaches forward.
  • Find the arch in the spine to be equal through out by extending though the heart and rooting the tailbone down, away from the body.
  • To release: Exhale, come back through standing and repeat on the other side.